Work your brain!

   Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder, it controls everything we say, do or think, who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.

    The brain uses 20 percent of our body’s oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein, fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells, it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don’t die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.

    Its complexity are stunning, far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished as possible we need to eat right, exercise and keep mentally stimulated. Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.

“It’s very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active,” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.“People cannot stop aging, but you’re able to reduce the damage; you’re able to keep the function up.”

Following are Dr. Stewart’s advice for improving brain health：

Nutrition	Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言): For breakfast, eat like a king; for lunch, like a queen; for supper, like a beggar.
Exercise	Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle strengthening every day.
Mental games	Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better.

1.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.

A. inform us how the brain works

B. give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy

C. tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives

D. show how special the brain is to us

2.The underlined word “stunning” means ______.

A. interesting 　               B. strange                          C. significant　                  D. amazing

3.According to the text，more exercise ______.

A. keeps our mind sharp             

B. helps improve our memory

C. gives our brain a rest 　           

D. is good for brain cells communicating with each other

4.In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.

A. eating a good lunch                                     B. doing puzzles

C. eating a large supper                                  D. taking aerobic exercise

 

Work your brain!

Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder，it controls everything we say，do or think，who we are and what we care about. The way we walk or laugh or figure out things. What we like and the talents we possess. How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food.

The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood. Somewhere within its protein，fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells，it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes. Change our temperature so we don't die because of the heat or cold. Speed us up or slow us down. Help us choose between orange juice or orange­flavored drinks.

Its intricacies(复杂性)are stunning，far beyond anything most of us can imagine. To keep this work of art as polished(有光泽的) as possible we need to eat right，exercise and keep mentally stimulated(刺激)．

Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other. Exercise stimulates a hormone(荷尔蒙)in our brain that improves memory. Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age.

“It's very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active，” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart.

“People cannot stop aging，but you're able to reduce the damage；you're able to keep the function up.”

Following are Dr.Stewart's advice for improving brain health：

Nutrition	Avoid fast food. Follow the old adage(格言，谚语)：For breakfast，eat like a king；for lunch，like a queen；for supper，like a beggar.
Exercise	Do a combination of stretching aerobic and muscle­strengthening every day.
Mental games	Try to have a sense of hope about the future. Do puzzles. Listen to music. Reach out to others to make their lives better.

1.The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to ______.

A. inform us how the brain works

B. give us advice on how to keep the brain healthy

C. tell us that the brain plays an important role in our lives

D. show how special the brain is to us

2.The word “stunning” in Paragraph 5 means ______.

A. interesting 　       B. strange              C. significant　        D. amazing

3. According to the text，more exercise ______.

A. keeps our mind sharp 　　 

B. helps improve our memory

C. gives our brain a rest 　　 

D. is good for brain cells communicating with each other

4. In order to keep brain healthy，we should avoid ______.

A. eating a good lunch                      B. doing puzzles

C. eating a large supper                    D. taking aerobic exercise

 

One day a mother brought home a small 　26 and gave it to her little girl on her birthday. She told her little girl that the jar was 　27 , and that she could write to her mommy about anything in the world and then put it in the jar. And　 28　 , in its place, there would be a 　 29　 for her. Soon the jar became a special part of their lives.

　　　 The little girl loved to get　 30 from her mommy. They always told her how 31　　 she was. Sometimes, too, there would be a little 　 32 　　　 in the jar with a note telling her how　 33　 her mommy was of her. She　 34　 all of her mommy’s letters in a pretty box by her bed.

　　　 The mother 　 35 　　　 each of her little girl's letters, too. As the years went by, that little girl 36 　　 into a young lady and then got married and started a 　　 37　 of her own. For the first time, the jar sat　 38 . The mother dusted the jar every day and sometimes looked inside,　 39 　 sadly that the magic jar years had to end.

　　　 One day the young lady came to 40 her mother. She went straight to her mother's room, opened the chest at the end of her bed, and found what she was looking for. She 41 a piece of paper and put it in the jar, and 42 it to her mother. The mother opened the magic jar and there was that note from so long ago, "You're going to be a 　 43　 !"

And when that baby boy was born months later, there was the jar 　44 in his nursery (育儿室) with a blue bow tied around it, and a note that read,"Magic jar years never 45 : they are always just beginning."

26. A. jar　　　 B. box　　　 C. bag　　　　 D. toy

27. A. worthy B . magic 　 C. beautiful　 D. cheap

28. A. thus 　 　　B. somewhat C. later 　　　 D. anyway

29. A. doll　　 B. candy　 　　 C. book　　 D. note

30. A. letters　 B. sweets　 　　 C. flowers 　 　　D. gifts

31. A. fat 　　 　　B. special 　　 　　C. ordinary 　 D. wise

32. A. air 　　 　　B. love 　 　　C. present　 D. money

33. A. ashamed　 B. afraid 　　　 　C. tired　 D. proud

34. A. kept　　 B. hid 　 　　 C. buried 　 D. forgot

35. A. marked　 　 B. treasured C. counted 　 D. numbered

36. A. developed 　 B. turned 　　 C. grew 　　 　　D. fell

37. A. business 　 B. factory　 C. shop 　 　　D. home

38. A. empty 　 B. straight 　　　 C. full 　　D. shining

39. A. judging 　　　 　 B. remembering 　　 C. realizing 　 D. knowing

40. A. treat　　　 B. award　　 　　　 C. visit 　　D. notice

41. A. designed　 B. cut 　 　　C. prepared 　 D. folded

42. A. handed　 B. fell 　　 　　C. posted 　　 　 D. sent

43. A. hero　　 B. grandma　 C. beginner　 D. mother

44. A. hanging　 B. placing 　　 C. sitting 　　　 　 D. lying

45. A. disappear B. sell 　　 　　C. break 　　　 　 D. end

After 10 months in office, Barack Obama pardoned (赦免) a bird from the National Turkey Federation (全国火鸡联盟). It is a holiday tradition that 　41 back to 1947. It is said the __42__ Obama pardoned that day, 　43 “Courage”, weighed 20 kg. Because of his pardon, “Courage” would 　__44 the Thanksgiving dinner. “But I heard that 　45 Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson pardoned their turkeys, they ate them in fact,” Obama 　46 said, “I understand them; the turkey looks really 　__47 .”

On the Thanksgiving holiday, the 　48 Thursday in November, many Americans have turkey for lunch or dinner. Obama joked about also wanting to 　49 the tradition and eat “Courage”. “If my daughters hadn’t 　50 me, I would have tasted ‘Courage’.” he said.

Obama said he 　51 all the American people at home and abroad a happy Thanksgiving Day. He also talked about the first family’s 　52 to celebrate the coming festival. “Just like millions of other families across our country, we’ll give our thanks to God for the 　53 we have,” Obama said. “We also remember that many members of our American family are still 　54 .”

Obama noted that President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a(n) 　55 in the midst of the Civil War in the 1860s. “Today we are facing many new risks and difficulties,” he added. “So on this American holiday, as we give thanks to God for what we’ve 　56 , let’s also give a hand to those who are less 　57 .”

After his speech, “Courage” was lifted to a table and Obama 　58 his hand over the turkey’s head, pretending to be very 　59 , and said, “You are pardoned.” Because of Obama’s pardon, “Courage” would spend the rest of its life 　60 at a Disneyland amusement park.

41. A. turns　　　　　 B. holds　　　　 C. dates　　　　 D. looks

42. A. duck　　　　　 B. pig　　　　　　　　　 C. cow　　　　　　　　 D. turkey

43. A. named　　　　 B. told　　　　　　　　　 C. ordered　　　　　　 D. believed

44. A. forget　　　　 B. stop　　　　　　　　 C. enjoy　　　　 D. survive

45. A. since　　　　　 B. although　　　　　 C. if　　　　　　　 D. because

46. A. jokingly　　　 B. secretly　　　　　　 C. suddenly　　　　　 D. surprisingly

47. A. strong　　　　 B. fat　　　　　　　　　 C. ugly　　　　　　　　 D. delicious

48. A. first　　　　　　 B. second　　　　　　 C. fourth　　　 D. last

49. A. break　　　　　 B. exchange　　　　　 C. follow　　　 D. remember

50. A. frightened　 B. disappointed　　　 C. supported　　　　 D. prevented

51. A. gave　　　　　 B. wished　　　　　　 C. sent　　　　　　　　 D. passed

52. A. question　　　 B. explanation　　　 C. solution　　　　　　 D. plan

53. A. happiness　　 B. energy　　　 C. excitement　　　　 D. surprise

54. A. moving　　　 B. working　　　　　 C. hurting　　　　　　 D. dreaming

55. A. honor　　　　 B. record　　　 C. holiday　　　　　　 D. exception

56. A. thought　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　　 C. borrowed　　　　 D. given

57. A. successful　 B. beautiful　　　　　 C. fortunate　　　　　 D. popular

58. A. raised　　　　 B. washed　　　　　　 C. warmed　　　　　 D. found

59. A. glad　　　　　　 B. serious　　　　　　 C. calm　　　　 D. handsome

60. A. alone　　　　　 B. safely　　　　 C. quickly　　　　　　 D. patiently

-----It is said that the girl ____ some weight hast week. -----It’s not necessary though she is a bit fat.

　 A. lost 　 B. put on

　 C. broke 　 D. made